 
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome, her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient cities, your storied pomp!" cries she
With Silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-lost to me.
I lift my lamp by the golden door!"
Penned in 1883 by New York City poet Emma Lazarus, "The New Colossus" was published nearly 3 years before the Statue of Liberty
was erected in 1886 as a gift to the United States from France. After its initial publication, the poem fell into obscurity until 1901, 14 years after Lazarus' death, when it was placed on a bronze plaque at the base of the statue. As the 2oth century unfolded, the poet's words resonated synonymous with hope and freedom for immigrants who would pass through Ellis Island and ultimately stitch together much of America's tapestry of culture. Today, she also stands as a guardian of the very freedom that she once bestowed upon the weary traveler.
Visit The Links Below
~One Nation Under God~ ~Story of "Taps"~
~Home~
Graphics and contents © Southern Elegance 2001 unless otherwise specified.
|
|
|
|
